“There are no more Negro beds available. Take him somewhere else.” [Paraphrased for emphasis] Inasmuch as healthcare practitioners today might publicly denounce such sentiments with vigorous animus, contemporary medicine is surreptitiously saturated with racial segregation, prejudicial portrayals, and anti-Black medicalizations because of the exploitative and domineering historical foundations of American medicine. Indeed, while significant progress has been made to dismantle the vestigial pillars of immorality and racist antagonism, lauding momentum and advancements prove insufficient as racial/ethnic health disparities continue to maintain devastating measures. Surely, there is always room for further progress.

Strikingly, the imagery of God as a healer in Black hymnody, spirituals, and prayer life are quite prevalent across Black Church denominations and communities, challenging us to wonder how American medicine as a social institution might have influenced the relevance of this theological nuance amongst this medically disinherited racial/ethnic population. Indeed, centralizing God in illness and healing is a beautiful strength within the Black community and admittedly can serve as pedagogical to culturally diverse denominations similarly. That notwithstanding, this notion further theorizes how historical medical mistrust has shifted a socio-theological equilibrium, setting an atmosphere of combat between Black religiosity/spirituality against American medicine and healthcare.

While racial/ethnic health disparities are myriad, social determinants of health anchor institutional medical mistrust and interpersonal doctor-patient relationships as some of the significant contributors to the tragic statistics of health/healthcare inequalities. What then is a faithful response to this phenomenon? This workshop presentation will inspire and challenge academicians, healthcare practitioners, and clergy to embrace a framework within Christian ethics and Community Psychology that (1) highlights the historical significance of Black exploitation and misconduct in medicine [beyond the narrative of Tuskegee], (2) deliberately engenders Conscientization in individual and communal practices of healthcare, (3) reframes reconciliation in the context of Christianity and medicine, and (4) further integrates behavioral medicine aspects in both faith-based communities and hospital/clinical settings. Additionally, there will be an opportunity to address the important difference between preservation and remembrance as is pertinent to iconography in hospital/clinical settings.